Khichdi scam | ED chargesheet: Suraj Chavan asked BMC official to award work orders to Force One Multi Services

The chargesheet includes the statement of the nodal officer of BMC, who said she had made a draft proposal for setting up a committee to take decisions on streamlining the functioning of the community kitchen to provide cooked meals to stranded labourers and homeless persons during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other directions. Following meetings in April 2020, a decision was taken to supply khichdi, finalised at Rs 40 per 300 grams, to be procured by the vendor. The packets were to be procured at fixed prices from the vendors, including NGOs which had the kitchen capacity to cook 5,000 or more packets a day and having the requisite licenses.

“She further submitted details of awarding of work orders to Sahyadri Refreshments and Force One Multi Services. During such submission, she provided details of talking to Mr Suraj Chavan (who requested to award work orders to Force One Multi Services),” the chargesheet claims. The agency claims that the BMC paid Rs 5.93 crore to Sahyadri Refreshment and Rs 8.64 crore to Force One Multi Services. Through subcontracting the work to others, an illegitimate gain was made, it added.

The agency said that the proceeds of crime in the case are around Rs 6.50 crore with Rs 1.25 crore paid to Chavan, which he diverted in investing in a cattle business and buying of properties.

While Chavan had said the amount was part of a salary paid to him and as personal loans, the ED claimed that documents were forged and backdated to show Chavan was an employee although he had no role in the company. One of the partners of Force One Multi Services had said that while he was associated with Chavan during the pandemic for other social work, he was never directly associated with the khichdi supply by the firm.